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Diagram

Arbor Knot

Reel knot · Spool knot

Tying line to the bare arbor of a reel spool before winding it on. The first overhand closes on the arbor like a noose, held by a stopper knot in the tag.

Utility · Beginner · Monofilament / Fluorocarbon / Braid / Backing · 4 steps

ApplicationsHow to tie it
Arbor Knot, finishedArbor Knot, finished

Finished structure

Drawn from a rope model of this knot: which strand passes over which comes from where the rope actually lies.

  1. Open the bail, pass the tag round the arbor and bring it out beside the standing lineThe line goes round the back and side of the bare arbor, and the tag comes out at the front beside the standing line, both heading away from the spool.
    1Tag end, round the arbor
    2Standing line, to the rod
    Move 1 of 1Open the bail, pass the tag round the arbor and bring it out beside the standing lineYou should now see: A loop of line round the bare arbor, with the tag and the standing line leaving the spool side by side.

    Step 01

    On a spinning reel, open the bail first. Pass the tag end of the line around the arbor of the spool and bring it back out beside the standing line.

    You should now see

    A loop of line around the bare arbor, with the tag and the standing line leaving the spool side by side.

    If it goes wrong

    Line caught outside the bail or around the spool lip instead of the arbor. The loop sits crooked and the knot cannot pull down onto the arbor.

    Fix: Unwrap it, open the bail, and lay the line around the arbor itself.

    Why: The knot works as a noose around the arbor, so the line has to go round the arbor itself for the noose to close on it.

  2. With the tag, tie a loose overhand around the standing lineThe tag makes one loop round the standing line and its end passes back through that same loop, beside the standing line, forming a loose overhand that encircles it.
    1Loop round the standing line
    2Standing line runs through it
    Move 1 of 1With the tag, tie a loose overhand around the standing lineYou should now see: A loose overhand in the tag with the standing line running through it, still free to slide along the line.

    Step 02

    With the tag end, tie an overhand knot around the standing line.

    You should now see

    A loose overhand in the tag that encircles the standing line and can still slide along it.

    If it goes wrong

    Tying the overhand in the tag alone, or around the arbor, instead of around the standing line. When you pull the standing line nothing slides and the loop does not tighten.

    Fix: Undo it and tie the overhand again with the standing line running through its middle.

    Why: This first overhand is the sliding part of the noose. Leave it loose so it can travel down to the arbor in step 4.

  3. Tie a second overhand in the tag alone, a short way past the first, and pull it tightPast the loose first overhand the tag has a second, small overhand tied in it alone, pulled tight as a stopper; the standing line does not pass through it.
    1Stopper, in the tag alone
    2First overhand, still loose
    Move 1 of 1Tie a second overhand in the tag alone, a short way past the first, and pull it tightYou should now see: A small, hard overhand in the tag a short way past the first knot, while the first knot stays loose on the standing line.

    Step 03

    Tie a second overhand knot in the tag end alone, about 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) past the first, and pull this one tight.

    You should now see

    A small, hard overhand in the tag a short way past the first knot, while the first knot stays loose on the standing line.

    If it goes wrong

    Leaving the stopper loose, or tying it far out along the tag. It pulls through the first knot or holds it short of the arbor, and the loop stays loose on the spool.

    Fix: Untie the stopper and tie it again, pulled tight, closer to the first knot.

    Why: The stopper is what the first knot jams against. Animated Knots notes that pulling on the stopper loosens the first knot, which is how the knot is undone later.

  4. Pull the standing line so both knots slide down onto the arbor, then trim the tagPulled tight, the loop closes on the bare arbor with the first overhand against it and the stopper jammed behind it, and the trimmed tag stands just past the stopper.
    Move 1 of 1Pull the standing line so both knots slide down onto the arbor, then trim the tagYou should now see: Both overhands butted together against the arbor, and the line does not move round the spool when you hold the spool and pull.

    Step 04

    Pull the standing line so the first overhand slides down onto the arbor and the stopper jams against it. Trim the tag close.

    You should now see

    Both overhands butted together against the arbor, and the line does not move around the spool when you hold the spool and pull.

    If it goes wrong

    Pulling the tag instead of the standing line, which loosens the first knot. With braid on a smooth bare arbor, the whole loop can turn around the spool even when the knot is tight.

    Fix: Pull only the standing line to cinch. If braid turns on the arbor, put a strip of tape or some mono backing on the arbor and tie the knot over it.

    Why: Animated Knots also shows taking two or three turns around the arbor before the first overhand, which adds grip on a polished spool.

HTH · Reference layout

Arbor Knot — finished-state checks, on the shared reference layout

Arbor Knot — finished-state checks, on the shared reference layout
Hook the Horizon reference plate
Failure modes

When this family fails, it fails as these. The recovered end still outranks the name.

Arbor / core-grip family

A grip on a spool arbor or a lead-core sheath — not a join of equals.

  • !Too few turns on a slick arbor
  • !Sheath cut while the core is pulled
  • !Overhand missing on the leader so the trap never sets
Fails when
  • !No stopper overhand tied in the tag end
  • !Stopper left loose, so it pulls through the first overhand
  • !Knot not pulled down onto the arbor, leaving the loop loose on the spool
  • !Braid on a smooth bare arbor, where the whole loop turns around the spool
Geometry

  • Cinch never took the spool arbor

    Spool spin / dumped backing

    An arbor knot that does not cinch to the spool is not finished · step 03

  • Missing lock overhand on the tag

    May slip around the arbor

    The tag overhand is what stops the cinch walking · step 02

  • Overhands not around the arbor

    Unreliable — you tied something else on the spool

    Both overhands must capture the arbor path · step 01

  • Left loose on the arbor

    Slip on the first run

    Cinch to the spool, then lock; a floating arbor knot dumps · step 03

If you saw this

  • Whole spool of line spins on the arbor

    Check

    • ?Pull the line hard and watch for arbor rotation

    Then

    • →Strip the spool, add tape or a mono underlay, respool under tension

  • Finished check failed — Missing tag stopper overhand

    Check

    • ?Overhand on standing line seats against the spool arbor
    • ?Tag overhand stops slip under spool tension
    • ?Line cinches to the arbor without spinning free

    Then

    • →Retie. A bad arbor knot slips and dumps the spool under the first run.

  • Cinch never took the spool arbor

    Check

    • ?Spool spin / dumped backing
    • ?Inspect step 03

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • Missing lock overhand on the tag

    Check

    • ?May slip around the arbor
    • ?Inspect step 02

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • Overhands not around the arbor

    Check

    • ?Unreliable — you tied something else on the spool
    • ?Inspect step 01

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Same family

Same failure class, different geometry. Open the plates — Diagnose still starts from the symptom.

This failed — start Diagnose

Why this knot

What it earns its place with, what it costs, and what to reach for instead.

Best for
Quick to tie
Not ideal for
  • Any load-bearing terminal or line-to-line job
  • Backing-to-fly-line — this only grips a spool arbor
Common mistakes
  • Tying the first overhand in the tag alone, or around the arbor, instead of around the standing line
  • Leaving the stopper overhand loose, or tying it far out along the tag
  • Pulling the tag instead of the standing line to cinch the knot
  • Tying braid straight onto a smooth bare arbor
Alternatives
  • Uni KnotBeginner

    Tying a hook, lure or other terminal tackle to braided or monofilament line

  • Centauri KnotBeginner

    Sliding-collar mono terminal that also serves as a simple spool attachment; low-friction close on nylon

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